Damon G. Tyner, the Atlantic County Prosecutor, is thanking Shore Memorial Medical Center for its donation to support the county’s Narcan initiative.

In a letter to the medical center’s CEO Ron Johnson, Tyner writes:

“On behalf of the residents of Atlantic County, I want to thank you and the Board of Trustees for partnering with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office in an effort to save lives, specifically those affected by the opioid addiction.”

Specifically, Shore Medical Center has donated $10,000 to help replenish the supply of Naloxone (Narcan) for law enforcement officers throughout the county.

Narcan, says Tyner in the letter, “will provide first responders with the tools necessary to help save the life of someone who has overdosed.”

Tyner adds that the Narcan initiative “is only one element of a multi-pronged approach to fighting the opioid epidemic in Atlantic County.

“As we proceed, we will rely upon the medical profession to take the lead on educating prescribing physicians and patients about the dangers of opioid abuse, legislators to require patient information sharing portals to monitor the manner and amount of prescriptions dispensed, and law enforcement to continue to target drug dealers who are preying on our citizenry.

“Ultimately, as it relates to addiction, we are facing both a public health crisis, as well as a criminal justice crisis, which will require our entire community to work together to solve.”